1.21.2021 – President cannot

President cannot
remake society – good thing –
definitely!

In a an interview with David Remnick for an article that appeared in the January 27, 2014, issue of the New Yorker Magazine, President Barack Obama said:

“I just wanted to add one thing to that business about the great-man theory of history. The President of the United States cannot remake our society, and that’s probably a good thing.”

Mr Remnick wrote that, “He paused yet again, always self-editing.”

“Not ‘probably,’ ” he said. “It’s definitely a good thing.”

Definitely a good thing.

Lets hope President Obama was right.

The quote also reminds of story that goes the other way.

The way I remember it President Eisenhower was asked at his final press conference if he, the President, felt that any reporter had hurt or harmed the office.

The story goes that Eisenhower paused for a moment and looked at the crowd and then said, “Well, I don’t think so. And when you come right down to it, there isn’t much a reporter COULD DO to the President.”

Are these two stories illustrations of the separation of powers or checks and balances or maybe that it just how a democracy should behave.

1.20.2021 – nation, under God

nation, under God,
shall have new birth of freedom
of by for people

Today’s Haiku is abstracted from Abraham Lincoln’s remarks delivered at the dedication of a National Cemetery on the fields where the battle of Gettysburg was fought.

Mr. Lincoln said:

“… our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.“

Maybe we haven’t been in a Civil War of late but I guess if we haven’t been, it as close as I want to ever come.

Either way you look at it this Country has been tested of late.

A test whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

A lot of work in front of all of us.

As Mr. Lincoln said, “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.

That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

When Gerald Ford was sworn in as Vice President in the midst of Watergate, he used the line, “I am a Ford, not a Lincoln.“

When Mr. Ford was sworn in as President, he said, “Our long national nightmare is over.”

He then went on to say, “Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.”

Here the people the rule!

As Mr. Lincoln said in his first Inaugural Address:

Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope, in the world.”

Is there any better or equal hope, in the world?

1.19.2021 – power always thinks

power always thinks
doing God’s service then
violate God’s laws

On Feb. 2. 1816, Former President John Adams wrote to Former President Thomas Jefferson, “Power always thinks it has a great Soul, and vast Views, beyond the Comprehension of the Weak; and that it is doing God Service, when it is violating all his Laws.”

The former Presidents had both been President along with a whole lot of other common experiences too many to try to list and as old men, engaged in one of histories great collected correspondences.

When Mr. Adams wrote the above quote he was commenting on a question from Mr. Jefferson about the current state of affairs in Europe.

Mr. Adams had on answer for that question and I used it for today’s Haiku.

Mr. Jefferson also had asked for a comment on “How the Apostacy from National Rectitude can be Accounted for?”

In other words, Mr. Jefferson had asked Mr. Adams if he could explain the abandonment or renunciation by the Country of a National moral integrity or goodness.

This was 1816.

40 years after the two men had collaborated on something called the Declaration of Independence.

In response Mr. Adams could only write that the question “is too deep and wide for my Capacity to answer.“

I cannot imagine what Mr. Adams might say today about how the Apostacy from National Rectitude can be Accounted for.

At least once he stopped throwing up.

It is almost easier to picture him in a scene from the movie Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston rides up to remains of the Statue of Liberty and realizes he is back on Earth.

Mr. Heston’s character cries out in rage, “You finally really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up!”

Mr. Adams’ statement, Power always thinks it has a great Soul, and vast Views, beyond the Comprehension of the Weak; and that it is doing God Service, when it is violating all his Laws, has been much on my mind of late as I watch how friends and neighbors express certain points of view with the certainty that God is on their side while the point of view being expressed, to me, is a certain violation of God’s laws.

Not sure what to do with that.

I had this professor who had the same feeling as Mr. Adams.

But instead of quoting Mr. Adams, this Professor would quote another great figure in American History, Bob Dylan.

He would quote Mr. Dylan’s song, With God on Our Side.

Oh my name it ain’t nothin’
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side

1.18.2021 – measure of success

measure of success
unselfish spirit exists
purpose, dignity

It was Bill Clinton who famously said, “It’s the economy, STUPID!”

So call me stupid, but what is the economy and how do we measure it so we can understand if things are good or if things are bad.

The one economic rule of thumb that really made sense to me was that when other people had no money, it was a recession.

When I had no money, it was a depression.

The reporters and commentators on economic news of late seem to feel that the economy is doing okay, even good considering the covid and all.

Maybe even the impact of covid with have good long term economic imact.

Then the reporters and commentators start throwing out the economic textbook alphabet code words like GNI, PPP, OECD, GDP, Nominal GDP and REAL GDP.

By the time the reporters and commentators are done, I have tuned out and I listen for one word.

Good.

Bad.

After all, it’s the economy STUPID.

Then, feeling stupid, I ask good for who and bad for who?

A long time ago, Robert Kennedy questioned the use of economic factors as a measure for a success of a Country.

In one of the first speeches in his 1967 Presidential Campaign, speaking at the University of Kansas and speaking, according to legend, without notes Mr. Kennedy talked about GDP.

(First, a reminder that GDP measures those activities for which money changes hands or for which a monetary value can be attached. Paid childcare is included, but unpaid childcare by family members or friends isn’t.)

Mr. Kennedy said:

” . . .the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.

It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.

It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.

And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.“

BOY HOWDY!

I mean gee whiz just off the bat I love this just for the way Mr. Kennedy said it.

Then I love what he said.

Then what he said just, well, makes me sad.

Mournful, you know what I mean.

So much has happened lately that can tell us so much about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.

Will Rodgers would imitate President Calvin Coolidge giving a speech (a bit of humor that President Coolidge did not appreciate) and would deliver a text like:

“The County as a hole is prosperous. I did not say the whole Country is prosperous but the Country as a hole. Usually, a hole is NOT prosperous. And this Country is in a hole.”

We are in a hole.

A hole that we dug.

As Mr. Kennedy said, “no one – neither industry, nor labor, nor government – has cared enough to help.”

I wonder if we can get out.

So much has is gone and still as Mr. Kennedy said, ” … there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction – purpose and dignity – that afflicts us all.”

But Bobby also said, “I think we here in this country, with the unselfish spirit that exists in the United States of America, I think we can do better here also.”

Can we get back there?

Can we go forward to get there?

Make America Great with an unselfish spirit.

For that answer I have to return to Mr. Kennedy’s GDP speech again and to Mr. Kennedy’s quote from George Bernard Shaw.

“Some people see things as they are and say, ‘why?’ I dream things that never were and say, ‘why not?’“

1.17.2021 – dinner with Jesus

dinner with Jesus
casual conversation
rang bells in my soul

We had Jesus over for dinner last night.

No, not THE Jesus but Jesús.

Jesús is 21 years old and lives with his Mom and Step-Dad in the apartment across the hall.

His name brings to mind how to tease my Dad, my brother Pete would say that EYE-VAN DE JESUS was the shortsop for the Chicago Cubs instead of EVONNE de HEY SUESS.

His name WAS spelled Iván De Jesús but I digress.

Jesús has his own at-your-home car detailing business and was working on a car in the parking lot while I was changing a tire.

I had neglected to put the parking break on so when the car slipped off the jack and crashed to the pavement, Jesús came over to say, “That’s not good.”

We got the car back on the jack and we changed the tire and I asked if he had plans for supper?

When he said no I invited him over to share our Saturday night hotdogs, crab cakes (welcome to the low country) and fries and he was happy to accept.

Jesús and his family were living here when we moved and have always been friendly as well as intriguing.

They had told us that they were from Venezula and that they had been in the United States for about 2 years.

But that was about all we knew.

Then by chance we were looking at the website for a local church and Jesús was listed as the church’s Spanish Pastor.

Like I said, intriguing.

Jesús came over and I set out the hot dogs, crab cakes and fries.

Ellington came and ate with us as well.

And we talked.

And we learned about Jesús.

We learned that Jesús and his mother where in the United States on refugee status.

Jesús and his mother could not leave the US as their passports had been canceled by the Government of Venezula.

Jesús was a little unsure of their future status in the United States in particular and their future in general but he refused to worry about it.

Jesús told how at one time Venezula had been one of the richest countries in South America.

Now it was one of the most corrupt and most poor.

People in Venezuela DO live in fear of the government.

My wife Leslie asked about social programs for feeding the poor or providing employment.

Jesús responded “They don’t care.”

He told how there were curfews in place and people were allowed out their homes from 7AM to Noon.

I asked if people were allowed to be out during the curfew to get to work.

Jesús said there is no work, there are few jobs.

Leslie asked how families without money or jobs and just a few hours to be out could get food and what was the government doing about it.

Jesús responded “They don’t care.”

Then Jesús said that he felt the people there were maybe more hopeful than the people he met in the United States.

Jesús said truly the people there have no hope for the future, let alone a better future.

Jesús said that the people there, the people he knew and grew up with, tried to make it through the each day.

Jesús said that the people there were happy in the fact that each day was one more day to be happy.

Jesús added that there the people there had none of the concerns or worries about getting the things that he felt most Americans were concerned with.

It was a simple understated, stating of the facts as Jesús saw them.

NOW please understand.

This was not an expert talking on CNN or a news program.

This was not someone writing an OP ED piece for the New York Times.

This was casual conversation over hot dogs and fries on a Saturday Night on a kitchen table in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Jesús was not trying to impress, shock or overwhelm us with pathos of his story.

Jesús was just talking.

Jesus told a simple tale in his slightly accented English that rang bells in my soul.

I felt a lot of emotions as I listened.

Mostly I felt ashamed.

To see the United States from someone else’s perspective.

To understand that people here do have an INCREDIBLE amount of freedom.

With that freedom comes a lot of responsibility.

And what do we do with this?

Squander the freedom.

Spurn the responsibility.

Sad.

Ashamed.

We hear a lot of the phrase, “This is NOT who we are.”

Sorry to disagree.

This is JUST who we are.

Living now in the low country of South Carolina, we had Jesús over for dinner last night.

Just one more impossible thing to add the list of what has happened to us here.